SPATIAL IDENTITY AS A FACTOR OF REGENERATION OF RESIDENTIAL YARD ENVIRONMENTS IN LATE 20TH CENTURY HOUSING ESTATES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2415-8151.2026.40.12Keywords:
spatial identity, regeneration of residential environment, residential yard environment, late 20th century housing estates, territoriality, mass standardized housing, placelessness, micro-identity, cognitive mapping, late modernism, Genius Loci, residual spaceAbstract
The article investigates the concept of spatial identity as a fundamental component of the regeneration process for residential environments built during the 1970s–1990s. The problem of degradation of residential yard territories is addressed, caused by the loss of territoriality, the erosion of human scale, and the dissolution of social scenarios in mass standardized housing districts of late modernism. The nature of ‘residual spaces’ that emerged as a result of implementing free-planning principles is analyzed - spaces that generate a state of placelessness, that is, the alienation of residents from their own living environment. Purpose. To identify theoretical foundations and formulate specific principles of architectural and planning regeneration of residential yard environments based on the restoration and purposeful reinforcement of their spatial identity. Methodology. The research draws on a comprehensive analysis of residential morphology, cognitive mapping methods following K. Lynch, the phenomenological approach to architectural environment (Norberg-Schulz), the defensible space concept (Newman), as well as systematic analysis of theoretical works on place-identity, territoriality, and public space quality in the residential environment. Results. The key factors of spatial hierarchy destruction in late modernist housing estates have been identified, including the hypertrophied scale of open territories and the ‘visual entropy’ of mass standardized development. A theoretical model of regeneration encompassing physical, sensory, and social levels of intervention has been formulated. The concept of ‘micro-identities’ and a four-level spatial hierarchy structure (threshold - yard - boulevard - boundary) have been proposed. It is demonstrated that the restoration of territoriality and clear delineation of privacy zones are a necessary condition for the formation of a sustainable, conscious, and long-lasting identity of a specific place. Scientific novelty. The dynamic character of spatial identity in standardized housing conditions has been substantiated, and the role of ‘micro-identities’ as a resource for regeneration has been revealed. An original vision of the principles of hierarchization and contextuality in environmental renewal is proposed. The concept of ‘residual space’ in the structure of the contemporary city has been additionally refined. Practical relevance. The research results can be applied in urban planning and architectural design when developing strategies for the renewal of degraded residential areas, comprehensive landscaping programs, as well as in the context of post-war restoration and rehabilitation of the urban environment of Ukraine, particularly in the formation of contemporary standards for the comprehensive renewal of residential districts.
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